God’s Word makes impact in East Asia

FORT WORTH, Texas (SWBTS) – An 18-member team traveled to East Asia to learn about eastern religions and to share the truth of God’s Word, Dec. 27-Jan. 12. Upon arriving, they discovered that God’s Word had gone before them, with the result that 28 people made professions for Christ during their stay.

Mark Carlton*, a student in the College at Southwestern, encountered a university student on the second day of the trip. He soon found out that this student had been reading the Bible for one of his classes. Although this Bible-reading assignment was intended only to teach students about western culture, this young man suspected the Bible was true.

“After we had extended the invitation for him to pray to receive Christ, and he did, he was very thankful, because he had no idea how to create that relationship. He had read those things (in Scripture) and had a desire for it,” Mark said. “The ground was fertile. And God just led us right to this man.”

Carrie Carlton*, Mark’s wife and a participant in the minister’s wives program at Southwestern, also helped lead a young lady, named Joy, to Christ. Despite the fruit that both Mark and Carrie saw, they also came away with a sense of the deep need for more work to be done. Mark said that he left East Asia with the images of those who have never heard the story of Jesus burned into his mind.

Carrie recalled seeing men playing poker in front of their idols: “Behind them they had their gods set up, and paltry little offerings,” she said. “They didn’t have much, but they gave what they had. It is hard to even fathom that is all that they had. That was their hope. It is hard to get that image out of your mind.”